EAST BROAD TOP- A Visit - NO LOOP!

Back from Pennsylvania and my business trip. Had Sunday afternoon off, so planned a trip over to Orbisonia. As it turned out I was late for the last run (Got there about 3:30) but figured that would happen. Well, I'm just as interested in the right of way, equipment, rolling stock and watching the train go by, so it was fine.
Got a little time to talk to some guys painting a building and did meet the General Manager (he helped me find an errant bottle of Mountain Dew - don't ask). Didn't really bug anyone because they were all busy putting the engine into the roundhouse.
Walked down the tracks towards the end of the line. Checked out the yard and peered into the buildings (It was too late to get building tours). Then drove along the right of way to Mount Union where the great ghost yard resides. How many of those hoppers are still in existance anyway? There must be at least 70+ on the premises.
I found the EBT very impressive and the artifacts still remaining are splendid, regardless what condition they may be in. While my TimberTimes duties lean, of course, very heavily towards logging, I do have great interest in mining, although this is the first coal operation I've ever spent any time looking at.
If the EBT WAS a logging railroad, in this state of preservation, it would be Shangrila. Never the less I found the whole operation quite attractive and well worth spending an extra day in PA until I could fly home.
You know it's very strange how things work sometimes. This all began with my attraction to the 4 ex/EBT hoppers on the Sumpter Valley. I found them very interesting and reasoned that they could be used on my model version of the same. (I model SVRY in 1954.........).
My interest in those hoppers lead to my purchasing 10 of the most current HO versions. Naturally, I wanted to have them look right when I put them together, so I did a lot of research. That research put my foot in the door and lead me, eventually out to Orbisonia last weekend. All because of a hopper car?
Not sure when or if I will ever be back, but I will certainly make the trip again if at all possible.
Lon Wall
TimberTimes magazine